Trinket of the Mariner's Son

Even though I often didn't see my father for months at a time, I know he loved me as much as I love you, Son, and as he once said to me, 'I may not be the best father, but I will always send my prayers when you need them the most,' and that is what I intend to do for you. Remember this, even if you don't see me for a while and want to hate me, I love you.

The Trinkets

The Trinket of the Mariner's Son has become a tradition at the Old Town Marina. A father who enjoys the sea and shares the experience with his children may often want to craft a charm of protection for them. It is a very personal item, usually made in a fashion that suits both the father ans child. The Trinket takes the form of a small nautical item, more-often-than-not handcrafted, that is made of wood, metal, rope or a smattering of whatever materials mean most to the family, possible including a photo of the one who wants to bestow the protection as a reminder to the child receiving the trinket.

The Lore

A man known as Richard Maloney crafted the first of these for his only son, Jared. He made it out of metal, as he was a welder in addition to a man of the seas, and that is what he did best. This Trinket resembles a small sailboat made of sheet metal. Though it was never finished, that fact reminds his son of him even more. A man with too many projects at once, trying to please everyone all the time.

Jared Maloney inherited the Old Time Marina some time after his father's mysterious disapearance. It seems that the previous owner, Greg Holts, had left his Marina to Jared because Richard saved Greg's life and was a good friend before he vanished. Since then, Jared has strived to bring more families into the nautical world, to teahc them that it is a powerful bonding experience. Jared has even started a family of his own, and made an attempt at welding a Trinket for his son Alexander. Again, the symbolism of the sloppy welds and burn marks are a powerful reminder of the father's nature.

The Present (Your game)

In a small seaside town it is quite popular for familes to own a small boat and take it for a ride once in a while, fishing and swimming are very popular too. Almost all parents who are serious about the sea and realize its dangers and fickle nature will have crafted one of these trinkets for their sons or daughters around age 16 or when they are considered old enough to take the boat out by themselves. This often gives both the parents and childtren a very real sense of safety that bonds them together and helps maintain trust and love.

Adaptability and What this means to a game

These events, as written, take place in a modern time. It's easy to change names or imagine this in a medieval fantasy or space venturing game. I suggest using these items to grant a family line a small bonus on water or space travel checks, or if the bond between father and son is extreme enough, something along the effects of the original trinket might be more apropriate.

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Freetext

Surnames: The Chinese were among the very first cultures to adopt the use of hereditary surnames (around 2800 BC). But the custom didn't quite catch on in Europe - at least not until the Venetian aristocracy made it popular sometime between the 10th and 11th centuries AD. What culture made it popular in your setting and why?